Dirigible headlight



Nov. 4, 1930.

J. M. S HERWIG DIRIGIBLE HEADLIGHT Filed 061;. 11, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l Inventor ,4 ttorney J M. SHER WIG DIRIGIBLE HEADLIGHT Nov. 4, 1930.

Filed Oct. 11, 1929 2 She'ets-Shet 2 In venior Patented Nov. 4, 19310 TATES1 @JOHNIMISHERWIG, or snAnonrnunsYnvnnra 1 V DIRIGIBLE HEADLIGHT Application filed October 11, 1929; qSer i'aI Nb; 392,916.

The present invention relates to a 'dirigible 'headlightfor automobiles and has for its prime object to'provide a headlight which is turnable to cast its light in the direction in IL which the automobile is moving at all times so as to provide proper illumination when roundingcurves and the like. 1

Another important object of the invention resides in the provision of a "mechanism of I this nature whichis comparatively simple in its construction, easy to install, compact and convenient in its arrangement of parts'and' thoroughly efficient and reliable in use and operation. V

"- With the above and numerous other obj e'cts in View as will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in certain novel features ofconstruction, and in the Com-3' bination andarrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described .and clainied.

, In the drawing:

Figurel'is aside elevation of the apparatus embodyingv the. features of my invention I showing the same installed, 7 I t Figure 2 is a partial sectional view. of the headlight structure taken substantially on a transversevertical planaFigure 1 d Figure 3is' asectional view taken substantially on thej line 33 of Figure 1, 30 Figure 1 is a plan view of the keeper plate Figure 5 is a sectional-"view taken substantially on line 5. 5 of Figure 1, Figure 6 is a sectional Vie through the hollowconnecting rod, and

3 Figure 7 is a sectional view. through the socketstructure of the headlights. v

Referring to the drawing in detail it will be seen that the numeral 5 denotes a horizontalcross bracket late. bolted as at'6 to 40 the side frame member 7. This bracket plate 5isfo'r1nedat its ends with upstanding ears 8 and 9f i A.bushing 10 is mounted in an opening in the ear-9., A shaft 11 is journaled in the 415 bushing 10 and through the. ear 8. A vertical bracket plate 12 has laterally extending terminal ears 14 and15. The bushing 10 extends through an opening in the bracket plate 12. A beveled gear 16 is fixed to one end or the shaft '11 and a nut'17is'threaded 26 and nut '27. 1

rined on the upper end on thesh'aft 11 so as to hold the/bushing in-place between the beveled gear and said nut. v o' o A tubular casing 20 extends between the ears 1 1 and 15' and in its endshas apart of heads 21 and 22. The numeral 23' denotes a headlight with a shank 2 1 extendihgfiean wardly therefrom and having a round'ed terminal seated in a socket 25 and}adj ustably held thereinby means 0 f an ustingstem This socket 2 5 isfo p of a shank 28 journaled through "the fear- 11 5" and the head 21 and extendingdownwardly in the casing and being hollow to'rec'eive the upper end of a shaft29joi1rnaled thrdugh thehead- 22and the ear 14;. A beveled-gear 30 is mounted on this'shaft 29gniesh'ingwith the beveled gear 22. A crank 31'is anchored on the other end of theshaftll and its'leiztremity is pivotally engaged in a; fork 32, the

stem of which extendsintoancbis fixedlin a hollow conneeting rod 33.

' A rod 341 extends" into theother if the connecting rod and clamped there inby means of a n1it3 5 threaded Isaid' other fend which issp'lit; The' humeralf b denotes a steering arm on fwhichris engaged the clamp C which comprisesa pair of L- shaped members?! and 38 as esses ofwhich are disposed in abutment' with longer legs insubstantial spaced parallel? ism and drawn tightlytogether about the 49 which has a, head 50 receiv'ablein socket 51 of the steering rod." I

Fronrthe above detailed description will be seenthatf as the steeringfarm 36, is

rocked the rod and the rod bare 'cipr'ocatedto rock the crank 31 thereby rock ing the shaft 11. The rocking of the shaft 11 through the gearing 16 and 30 will rock the shaft 27, and standard 28 thereby swinging the headlight 23 so as to direct its light in'the proper direction in which the vehicle may be steered.

It is thought that the construction, operation, utility an d advantages of this invention will now be quite apparent to those skilled in this art without a more detailed description thereof.

The present embodiment of the invention has been disclosed in considerable detail merely for the purposes of eXemplification since in actual practice it attains the features of advantage enumerated as desirable in the statement of the invention'and the above description.

It will be apparent that changes in the details of construction, and in the combination and arrangementof parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed or sacrificing any of its advantages.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is: i

1. A dirigible headlight apparatus of the class described comprising a bracket structure, a vertical shaft in'the bracket 'structure, a horizontal shaft in the bracket structure, gearing operatively connecting the shafts, a headlight, means engaging the headlight with the vertical shaft to swing upon the rotation thereof, a crank on said v horizontal shaft, a link structure connected 7 with said crank, a clamp for connecting the link structure with the steering arm of an automobile, said clamp comprising a pair of L-shaped members having their shorter legs overlapping an L-shaped bracket mounted on the overlapped legs and a bolt through the said legs and the bracket for securing thesame together, and adapted to have their longer legs straddling the arm, and a bolt extending through the longer legs to draw them tightly about said arm,

said link structure adapted to be attached to said L-shaped bracket.

2. A dirigible headlight apparatus of the class described comprising a bracket structure, a vertical shaft in the bracket structure, a horizontal shaft in the bracket structure, gearing operatively connecting the shafts, a headlight, means engaging the headlight with the vertical shaft to swing upon the turning thereof, a crank on said horizontal shaft, a link structure connected with said crank, a clamp for connecting the link structure with the steering arm of an automobile, said clamp comprising a pair of L-shaped members having their shorter legs bolted together and to the link structure and their longer legs straddling the arm, and a bolt extending through the longer legs to draw them tightly about said arm, a keeper plate bent over upon itself intermediate its ends and having an opening to receive the bolt so that a portion may be disposed along the inner side of one clamp member while the remaining portion extends down alongside of the arm to engage against the ball thereof, for preventing the clamp from accidental downward displacement from position on the arm.

3. A dirigible headlight apparatus of the class described comprising a bracket structure, a vertical shaft in the bracket structure,

a horizontal shaft in the bracket structure,

gearing operatively connecting the shafts, a headlight, means engaging the headlight with the vertical shaft to swing upon the turning thereof, a crank on said horizontal shaft, a link structure connected with said crank, a clamp for connecting the linkstructure with the steering arm of an automobile, said clamp comprising a pair of L-shaped members having their shorter legs in overlapping relation and their longer legs straddling the arm, an angle bracket secured to said overlapping legs, a bolt through the bracket and the overlapped legs, means on the angle bracket for attaching the link structure and a bolt extending through the longer legs to draw them tightly about said arm, a keeper plate bent over upon itself intermediate its ends and having an opening to receive the bolt through the longer legs so that a portion may be disposed along the inner side of one clamp member while the remaining portion extends down alongside of the arm for engaging the ball projection for limiting the accidental downward displacement of the clamp, a horizontal transverse bracket means and means for attaching the bracket plate to a chassis channel bar, said bracket plate having upstanding ears in which the horizontal shaft is journaled.

4. A dirigible headlight structure for a motor vehicle comprising a side frame member of a motor vehicle chassis, a horizontal bracket plate having upturned ears on each end and attached at a point near one end upon said member, and a bolt through said plate and said member, and a vertical bracket plate having laterally directed ears on its ends and secured at its lower end to one of said upturned ears; and a horizontal shaft journalled through the upturned ears and the vertical bracket plate, and a bushing on the end of the shaft entering the upturned ear and the vertical bracket plate, and a screw threaded portion on the same end of the shaft carrying a nut for clamping against the bushing; and a tubular casing vertically mounted within and between the laterally directed ears of the vertical bracket plate, heads in the ends of the casing, and a hollow spindle depending into said casing, through the upper laterally directed ear and the upper head of the casing and provided with an integral flange for resting on the upper face of the upper laterally directed ear, and a headlamp adjusting socket on the upper end of the hollow spindle, a head 7 lamp having a rearward projection for engagement 011 said socket and adjustable clamping means associated with said socket; and a vertical shaft within the casing having its upper end within the said hollow spindle and its lower end journaled through the lower head of the casing and the lower ear, and an ustahle collar clamped on the lower end ofthe Vertical shaft and against the lower :face of the lower ear for. retaining the shaft against upward displacement, and a pinion positioned within the tubular casing andsecured on the end of the horizontal shaft and another pinion meshed with pinion and secured on the verticalshaft for rotating the headlamp upon rotation of the horizontal I shaft, and means connecting the steering arm 20 of'the motor vehicle with the said horiaontal 'Shaft fOI rotating the same as the vehicle 1s turned. V

p In testimony whereof I am my signature.

JGHN M. SHERWIG. 

